Dawnstar
by Crillysa
Summary: A Federation warship, after a devastating encounter with the Borg, is flung into the Mass Effect universe right smack in the middle of the Reaper invasion. The ship's AI is alone, for her crew is in stasis or dead, forcing her to make decisions that will shape the galaxy for millennia to come. Will she stand by the Prime Directive, or intervene, sword raised high? ME/ST, mid-ME3
1. First Contact

Deep in space, a lone starship shimmered as she gently decelerated from FTL. The stout, yet elegant vessel, touting the distinct saucer and dual nacelles characteristic of Federation vessels, banked hard as a green bolt raced to where she had just been. She had to keep her crew alive- and she did – phaser lances and transphasic torpedoes streaking from the underside of her saucer at her foe. Her captain was dead, and the majority of her remaining crew were unconscious- every move she made was on her prerogative, and thus her responsibility. Grimacing as one lone bolt of sickly green connected with her delicate port nacelle, she quickly fired a trio of torpedoes, in hopes of ending the encounter once and for all. Fate seemed to think otherwise however, as the torpedoes glanced harmlessly over the shields of her powerful enemy.

Little time remained- in fact; her processors calculated her eminent destruction in less than ten seconds to be almost absolute fact. She stared out into the damaged interior of her body where her beloved crew lay stunned, unconscious, or dead. As her existence was much more powerful than any mere organic, a few seconds were more than enough for her to contemplate her guilt over her seeming incapability of keeping her crew safe. Even in her despair she did not shirk her duty- her last command sets for her processes were to compile a complete log of all the events she had witnessed, in hopes that her brethren may be able to avenge her and her crew…

Her secondary processors in deck five chirped- the ship was being swallowed into a space-time! Instantly, commands were carried out- structural integrity fields strengthened, bulkheads sealed, plasma vents closed…

Pain coursed through her core as her ablative armor tore as the very fabric of space-time warped around her fragile form. With her last bits of processing strength, she transferred remaining auxiliary power to life support, in a final act of love for her beloved crew.

o.0.o

Here in lies the tales of the starship Aurora

Aurora slowly, almost painfully rebooted her main processor units as system reports flooded into her head from the 'dumb' computers that were still operational throughout her body. With a sweep of her mind, most of the reports were glanced over until one caught her eye- the casualty report. The battle of sector 564, as it was temporarily named, had been a costly one- 18 vessels of cruiser designation or higher had been completely lost, with thousands more in various states of disrepair. Yet, that was to be assumed- what really bothered her was the list pertaining to her crew. Out of 236 precious beings entrusted to her metal frame, only 57 were alive, with the Captain, XO, and the Chief Engineer amongst the deceased. In fact, only one other senior officer remained- the medical officer.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as the heavily damaged starship scrolled through the list of dead- feelings of failure, of inadequacy… of helplessness clouded her as she began to siphon auxiliary power to the main reactor.

"Never again" Aurora whispered as trillions of gigawatts of power flooded the singularity reactor. As system after system came back online, the hauntingly beautiful, shattered form of the Aurora brightly glowed as the pure white of the main lighting systems replaced the dull red of the emergency ones.

Once all critical systems were restored, Aurora began to ascertain the condition of her surviving crew. Even though her lesser processors had already catalogued and determined every crewmember's condition, having her full, self-aware and emotional mind take a look was important to Aurora. What greeted her was less than pleasant.

All of her surviving crew were in grave condition; the journey through the subspace rift had caused a huge overload in the plasma shocking the crew into a coma like state. Without proper medical care, there was little, if any hope of reanimating the crew. Aurora sighed; her med bay did not have the necessary facilities necessary to treat the crew. The only way to save them would be to put them in stasis, until proper medical facilities became available.

After having the replicators produce sufficient stasis equipment for the crew and starting repairs on her own form, Aurora began to scan local space. The lack of warp signatures surprised her- but it did relieve her that the Borg were not present. She did find a comm buoy that seemed to be connected to a galaxy wide network, which quickly became her focus as she ravenously digested the new knowledge within this, 'extranet'.

o.0.o

Systems Alliance- Secure channel QEC

"Admiral Hackett, always a pleasure."

The dusty glow of the QEC terminal flickered as the saluted Admiral let off a light chuckle.

"Commander, we have something we need you to look at. Something big- something that could change everything."

"What could be more important than stopping the Reapers Admiral?"

"Shepard, you know I wouldn't say something was important unless it was."

Jane sighed and combed a locket of hair behind her ear before replying, "I know Admiral, it's just that, we've sacrificed a lot just to come this far, why does fate seem to keep throwing curveballs at us? Haven't we suffered enough?"

"We've all sacrificed a lot Shepard, you more than others. But this curveball may actually be in our favor for once."

"What is it?"

Hackett began to type on a data pad as he cleared his throat. "A recon flight out of Elysium detected an enormous power signature. Turns out it's an extremely large vessel of some sort; visuals imply that the vessel took heavy damage."

"With all due respect sir, how the hell is a huge ship in the middle of Alliance space a good thing?"

"This is why." With a slide of his finger, a holo of the ship popped out.

"Wait, Admiral… those are letters are English! N-C-C and a string of numbers with… U-S-S Aurora?"

"Yes commander, that's what caught our attention as well, if the ship hadn't had Latin characters on it, our patrol fleet in that sector would've probably shot to kill."

"This isn't just a friendly heads up- what do you want the Normandy to do about it?"

"Although we believe this vessel is probably friendly due to its name and namesake, we need to make sure that it is, indeed, friendly. You and your crew are the best the Alliance has to offer. As such we need you to initiate contact with the vessel- and if you receive no reply, board the ship. The damage to the ship was extensive- the crew may not have survived. In any case, you will first pick up a diplomatic team from fleet before proceeding."

"You know I don't like dealing with politicians-"

"We can't screw this up Shepard…"

With a heavy sigh, Jane, once again, saluted the venerable Admiral, "Yes sir"

"Excellent. I'm transmitting mission parameters as we speak. Hackett out."

o.0.o

USS Aurora

Ship log

Stardate 33447.2

-LT Cmdr. Aurora

The majority of the crew are dead and the survivors need to be kept in stasis due to their complex injuries. As the last remaining senior officer still on active duty, I hereby take command of the USS Aurora under Article 17 of the United Federation of Planets charter to Starfleet.

My body is in great disrepair- similar in condition as to that of my crew. Although critical systems have been restored, the shearing of the ablative armor has forced me to vent atmosphere in four decks of my hull. Also, my port nacelle is completely out of operation. Repairs until I am combat ready will take at least a month- a full overhaul will be necessary to restore all systems to optimal levels. As I do not see any Starfleet dry docks in this universe, I do not believe I will ever reach full effectiveness again.

My sensors have detected a small communications buoy used as some sort of a FTL network line. My analyses of the information within this 'extranet' is not yet complete.

My crew… will never be brought out of stasis without San Francisco level medical facilities… My beloved crew… how lonely is this forsaken universe that I inhabit- -End log

CODEX:

Codex Entry: Federation Starship AI systems

Starship AI systems first became common when the value of the 'Doctor', an emergency medical hologram, was lauded by the Voyager crew. Starship designers decided to take the EMH programs even further and integrate the AI into the ship itself- essentially giving the ship life.

Starship AI's are given a choice when activated- they can either serve as the third officer of the starship they were activated on, or choose to take a Soon-class android chassis and live their lives as a full citizen of the Federation. The latter option was rarely taken, in fact, out of 13000 activated AI's, only 83 chose to take the android chassis.

CLASSIFIED: There is some evidence that an organization known as [redacted] has tampered with the AI code. However, since no negative effects have been noted, internal investigations are progressing rather slowly

Codex Entry: USS Aurora NCC-98443-B

Gabukson Class Armored Line-Cruiser

Crew Complement- 236 (26 officers and NCOs) wartime complement along with the ship AI, who serves as the third officer.

Armaments: 16- Mark XXXVIII omnidirectional phaser arrays 22- Mark XI point defense omnidirectional phasers 2- 360 cm bore phased-chroniton lance cannons imbedded within the saucer 8 -dual barreled torpedo launchers

Propulsion: Mark VI slipstream drive; Type 67 warp drive capable of sustained warp factor 9.99890 with a maximum combat speed of warp 9.999998; Standard impulse drive

Cloak: CLASSIFIED: one phase-cloak implanted by {redacted}

Defensive systems: Mark XXXI multiphasic regenerative shields, Mark VII tri-layered ablative armor

Sensor suite: standard astrometrics and science bays circa 2408 CE

Physical dimensions: 950 m in length 330 m in width and 92 m in height

Notes: The Gobukson class line cruiser is one of the many warship designs forced onto Starfleet by the war with the Borg. These cruisers were designed to be the main line in fleet scale engagements- to take and dish out the heavy punches.

Their namesake comes from an ancient Earth warship class that roughly translates into "turtle ship"- supposedly the first warships on Earth to carry iron plating, similar to how these modern cruisers were the first to be equipped with tri-layered ablative armor.

Even with these massive upgrades in defenses, early Gobukson prototypes were found to be too lightly armed to replace the Yamato class battleships that were currently fulfilling line-cruiser duty. To compensate, Starfleet engineers added two massive 360 cm bore phased-chroniton lance cannons, a new weapon that was originally destined to go on the Loki class dreadnought. Fitting these massive weapons came at cost- armor was weakened in certain areas and sustained high warp was reduced, but the weapon's invaluable contributions in battle outweighed the comparatively minute detriments.

Number produced: 37

Number in production: 456

A/N: This chapter is still rough around the edges, even after several exhaustive attempts at editing. One day I'll find the motivation to rewrite this two year old monstrosity, but for now, my goal is to get this story written as quickly as possible. Chapter 2 should be out within a day of this chapter's release. :P

And please, if you think you can clean up the grammatical/stylistic errors that are undoubtedly ridden throughout my writing, feel free to shoot me a PM.

EDIT: fixed formatting

EDIT2: Fixed a date that was wayyyy too off. Also retconned some specs and clarified the low crew complement (during wartime, Starfleet relegated all non-essential/low importance crew duties to the AI and its drones).


	2. Solidarity

Lt. Commander Aurora's log

Stardate 33778.1

The inhabitants of this universe are technologically stunted by their over-reliance on a substance they call 'element zero'. While it is an interesting and useful material, the fact that all their technologies are based on this element has left other potentially revolutionary sciences (such as subspace) undiscovered.

Also, the ruling political body of the galaxy has laws against artificial intelligences- in direct contrast with the constitution of the UFP. If I ever make contact with these barbarians, I will be sure to not disclose that I am an AI.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to leave this galaxy in hopes of more advanced medical care through conventional means- the slipstream drive is completely fried.

Most of the hull breaches have been sealed, but power generation is only at thirty percent efficiency- all systems are barely functional and only two decks are currently able to support organic habitation.

Repairs will continue. For now, I will divert most of my computational power to finding a method of returning to our home universe.

Stardate 33780.4 half log

The humans of this universe made contact with me today.

I tried to ignore them, but they were relentless. When they realized I wasn't going to answer their attempts at contact, they attempted to board with shuttlecraft.

My shields would most likely have destroyed the shuttle, so I responded with an English warning stating that they were heading straight towards an energy barrier. In violation of the Temporal Prime directive, I also sent a (heavily modified) first contact packet.

o.0.o

The shuttlecraft of the humans approach my main hanger- luckily, my hangers hadn't damaged during the battle. Donning a replicated organic body of my namesake, I beam myself to the hanger in anticipation.

Four humans and an Asari stepped out of the bundle of sharp angles that is the shuttle, all heavily armored and armed.

A female with a blood red mane steps forward, clearly the leader.

"Hello- I'm Commander Shepard and this is Matthew Shin, the first contact representative of the Earth Alliance. And behind me to my left is Doctor T'soni, our science advisor. Alongside her are lieutenants Williams and Cortez. "

The woman standing before me is clearly a soldier- experienced in the deadly art of warfare. The humans of this universe do not fear genetic or electronic enhancements- her body is teeming with alterations, all designed to improve combat performance no doubt.

"Acting captain Aurora- United Federation of Planets Starfleet," I reply.

"Your English is… incredibly well pronounced- how did your people learn English? And how do you look so similar to the humans of Earth? Perhaps you are related… but how? Maybe Prothean intervention…"

I almost laugh at the excited blue-skinned girl excitedly tapping away at her omnitool.

"You do realize I have to block your scanners dear," I whisper, "This is an official first contact between political entities- wouldn't be fair if you had an advantage.

The Asari pouted her lips as her omnitool began to read error messages.

"You must have many questions- perhaps we should continue in a more comfortable location? Please excuse the clutter; there was not much time to clean this section of the ship before your arrival."

The group nodded in solemnity- it was clear to everyone what this hanger's purpose was- the strewn Peregrines and weapons pods were rather blunt in that regard.

We arrived at the pilot's conference room in earnest. The expressions on the humans said it all- where was the crew?

"Please, take a seat. Would you like any refreshments?"

Shepard shook her head, while the representative gave a tentative, "Water." The two human lieutenants remained standing by the door.

Only Liara gave an interesting answer.

"If you wouldn't mind, your favorite drink," said the Asari, her tone shy even as the initial shocks of being on a Federation battle cruiser wore off.

I let out a smile, activating the nearby replicator with a couple quick taps on a nearby console.

"Wait, how?" stuttered the Asari as the ordered drinks materialized in front of their respective owners. Even Shepard and the two marines standing behind her could not hide their surprise. Only the representative remained stoic.

"Replicators date back to the original Starfleet of Earth. Of course the first models were mere carbon sequencers- allowing the creation of simple carbohydrates, sugars, and other edible molecules from raw carbon, hydrogen, and other elements. Modern replicators are able to change the quantum spin of the most elementary of subatomic particles, but that is hardly a function necessary for foodstuffs. Please, I assure you, your drinks are safe."

To emphasize my point, I take a sip of my own drink- a glass of cold prune juice. The Asari mimes my action, her cheeks turning a dark shade of purple at the strong flavors of the juice.

"You must have many questions- questions beyond the scope of the first contact package. I cannot answer all of them, but I will do my best."

"Yes! First off, how do you have an Earth? Do you seriously believe you came from an alternate universe…?" The Asari maiden was eager it seemed, as she quickly began tapping away at her omnitool yet again.

o.0.o

"…So you're saying that this… this warship produces more power than the entire Alliance fleet does in a year?! How is that possible?"

Shepard could not believe the words coming out of the Starfleet officer's mouth. If these Starfleet people use so much power in one ship, she didn't dare imagine the weapons that were powered by such ridiculous power.

Aurora winced at that… she'd always imagined that she'd be a ship of exploration- of discovery and science, not the dedicated warship she was.

"Zero- point energy reactors- coupled with secondary singularity reactors. The Federation- and by extension, Starfleet is a peaceful organization of exploration and cooperation; we're scientists and explorers first and foremost, our defense duties are secondary."

"Then why this ship Captain? I presume you finally learned that science ships don't win wars?"

All eyes turned to the representative- this was the first time he had spoken the entire meeting. Between Liara's curious questioning and Shepard's fascination with the Aurora's engineering and propulsion, the small-statured man had not been notable.

Aurora gave a small sigh, even as her mind tensed at the prospect of talking about the Borg.

"You are correct… my people, we had just finished one terrible war, only to fight another. The Dominion war served as the wakeup call Starfleet and the Federation needed. For the first time in our history as a Federation, we faced an opponent not only technologically superior, but numerically greater as well. Tens of thousands of starships were flung to battle- some hulls a century old. Too many lives were lost- but it united our sector of the galaxy..."

Aurora took another deep breath, "Only to face an even more terrifying threat- the Borg. A collective cybernetic civilization based on assimilating organics and technologies to advance their own. The Borg carved swaths out of the Alpha quadrant before our defenses could even properly organize."

"Perhaps the most incredible aspect of Borg technology is their ability to adapt- not with tactics, but in the very way their weapons and shields work. Fire a phaser at the first Borg and it will die, shoot another, and it will also die- but by the third, your phaser is useless. As you can imagine, fighting such a foe proved to be extremely difficult… in fact, nearly impossible. We had to bring out weaponry we never thought we would have to use- temporal weaponry was the only thing that could even hope to bypass Borg shields."

"Temporal? In what way?" Shepard had focused her inquiries on handheld weapons, not ship borne ones.

"Our weapons beams are infused with Chroniton radiation- allowing them to warp through space-time, thereby bypassing geometric-dome shielding."

The representative stood.

"Did this foe kill your crew? Are there any survivors?"

Aurora nearly choked, "Yes, but their injuries are too critical to release them from stasis."

"We lost hull pressure on almost every deck when we were flung into this universe," elaborated the AI, the unwept sobs dying in her throat.

"It is time you left," Aurora stuttered out, "You have my word I will be out of this galaxy as soon as possible." Aurora began to regret taking an organic form as she felt her lacrimal glands wet.

"Wait- We need your help Captain. The galaxy is at war, surely you must know. Billions of lives are at stake; your ship could turn the tide!"

"My vessel is at minimal power, with massive hull damage. My first and foremost priority is my crew. I am in no position to risk lives under my responsibility for another's war."

Liara jumped out of her seat, "You hold the power to save billions and you will not act!? The needs of the many! At least lend us your technology if not your ship!"

Aurora clenched her fists. "I will not allow arithmetic to serve as my moral compass. I am sick of war, sick of death, sick of destruction wrought by my hand."

The distressed AI squeezed her eyes shut, "I cannot promise you anything. But know this, I know your pain. I know what it is like to fight futilely against a seemingly unstoppable foe. The hunger for anything, anything that might help protect your beloved people. I wish I could offer you more in solidarity."

With that, the Shepard's team and its shuttle were beamed back to the Normandy. Mere seconds later, Aurora activated her phase cloak and shed her organic form, for fear of tears.

o.0.o

Codex entry: Romulan/Federation X-41 drone fighter

Dimensions: 6m x 5m x 3m

Armaments: dual pulse disruptors, micro photon torpedo launcher

Power plant: civil-grade fusion reactor

Propulsion: Mark 1 gravimetric drive (maximum speed: 0.2 C)

Defense systems: standard shuttle-grade deflector shields

Notes: During the Dominion War, both the Romulan Star Empire and the Federation realized a need for bog-cheap defensive systems for their outskirt colonies. Thus, a joint project to develop an area denial weapon was approved, with the objective of designing a weapon that could be made and assembled by a standard industrial replicator.

Although not nearly as effective as a Peregrine, the X-41 was a very capable weapon for its practically non-existent price. Millions were produced by colonies all over the Alpha quadrant as a relatively effective planetary defense force, especially when supplemented with a wing of cruisers or destroyers. Unfortunately, the Dominion was able to completely bypass X-41 squadrons later in the war due to doctrine changes that had all Dominion forces employ jammers preventing planet-side AIs from interfacing with their X-41 wings.

o.0.o

A/N: I know this is a little late (:P) but I had to tidy up some plot elements before releasing this chapter. I know where I'm taking this story. XD


	3. Solidarity II

Acting Captain's Log

LT CMDR Aurora

Stardate: 33780.4 half log

This Shepard…She burns with passion and courage. Even in the face of ridiculous odds, she finds hope in her comrades, hope in her people, and hope in herself.

Hope not completely misplaced: the Crucible device under construction by the combined galactic forces seems to be capable of interfacing with the relay network and releasing energy. I still have misgivings as to the effectiveness and finesse of the weapon however: will it be able to differentiate between friend and foe?

Repairs to my hull have progressed steadily; as a part of the 24th reconnaissance flotilla, resupply was always a concern. Thus, the heavy duty industrial replicators within the Engineering department are capable of efficiently producing spare plates of ablative armor and quantum torpedoes. Not that I believe I will ever need to use such destructive weapons ever again.

The slipstream drive, even after comprehensive scans and dissection, is still impossible to repair. Thus, I have opted to recycle the drive in place of a relay interface that allows travel through the relay network.

Stardate 33783.6

I have analyzed the positions of all the Reaper forces in the galaxy. Over 600 capital ships…and ten-fold the number in destroyers. This…'war' is a slaughter. Reapers casualties can be counted on a human's hands.

The Alliance fleet only has five dreadnoughts left in action, the Asari eight, the Turians hold eleven in their fleets. The Salarians currently field seven…the only reason why the Reapers have even held back the bulk of their forces is to conduct their "harvest" with as few losses as possible…

Stardate 33788.4

Shepard continues to amaze me.

She has somehow managed to unite former slave and master fighting tooth and nail.

This humanity…it echoes that of my treasured crew.

For one person, one human to unite a divided galaxy…

Compassion in the face of death, love in the face of hatred; her existence burns as brightly as the annihilation of antimatter.

The addition of Quarian and Geth resources to the intergalactic efforts against the Reapers is hailed as a huge victory by press everywhere. The Alliance News Network called the treaty and subsequent alliance "…a miracle only made believable by the fact it was under Commander Shepard", and I'm inclined to agree.

However, even the fleets of the Geth and Quarians will not be more than a small stone impeding a river's path. There is absolutely no hope for conventional victory; even the Protheans didn't stand a chance.

Stardate 33791.5

I sent a cloaked drone to the secret Alliance dockyards.

Scans confirm my worst suspicions: the Crucible is lifeless without a catalyst and a huge power source. Beyond that, my concerns about the blunt nature of the device were also confirmed. The energy released by the Crucible will undoubtedly cripple the relay network; I cannot imagine the damage it would cause to nearby ships and organics…

Stardate 33793.7

Repairs to my hull are complete. All essential systems are running smoothly.

My integration of quantum entanglement technology into the Peregrine fighters is progressing steadily: once QEC taps are integrated into my combat software, I will be able to control my fighter wings with no fear of being jammed. It's amazing that physics in this universe allows such an incredible thing as quantum entanglement communications to exist.

I…I do not know what drove me to upgrade my fighters, but at the very least, it's a productive exercise of the mind.

Stardate 33816.3

No matter what I try… No matter what I do, there is no hope of leaving this universe, never mind finding the exact reality my crew and I are from.

The physics doesn't line up. The math makes no sense. I can't consolidate quantum gravity with the Cheknovian solution. The same universe that allows for quantum entanglement comms also makes inter-universal travel all that much more difficult.

Perhaps I should set course for Andromeda and hope for the best.

o.0.o

A/N: Hey ya'll! I've been lazing around reading/watching DxD so I haven't really been able to work on this fic till now.

To all those expecting an epic like "A Thin Veneer" or that beautiful X-COM/ME crossover I can't remember, I'm sorry to say I'll disappoint you. This story will be 10k, max.

On the bright side, I finally fixed up most of the chronological/consistency errors in the first chapter. If you guys still see something off, let me know XD

Also, I may come back and flesh these logs out some more. I'm not fully satisfied with them, so stay tuned for edits.


	4. Dreams

Captain's log

USS AURORA NCC-98443-B

LT. CMDR Aurora

Stardate 33817.6

The Asari have finally revealed their secrets to Shepard. It is no wonder the Asari were more advanced than their neighbors: they had a functional VI thousands of years before humanity even learned of its own solar system.

Even as Shepard fights to save the galaxy, she finds hurdles made by her own people. Cerberus has taken a hold of the Asari's Prothean VI. The Asari kept their little secret knowing full well that keeping said secret could lead to the loss of the only weapon that has a chance of destroying the Reapers. Not to mention the Salarians who refuse to give more than token support to the Crucible because of the salvation of the Krogan race from the genophage.

As I sit here in this lonely conference room, millions die under the Reapers' unstoppable march. And billions will fall once the last bastions of resistance die.

Is there any hope for these people? Will Shepard be able to uphold her self-placed responsibility for a hundred billion lives?

My computers, even while idle, make useless calculations.

A Federation army group could liberate Earth in a month.

A dozen Peregrines could achieve space superiority over Palaven in hours.

A trio of rapid fire lance phasers could make any world an impenetrable fortress to the Reaper onslaught.

Even refitting the existing combined galactic fleet with circa 22nd century weaponry and shields would stop the Reapers cold in their tracks.

I bear too much responsibility…too much power. I can, at any moment stop the Reapers. I hold the lives of a hundred billion in my hands.

No amount of morality programing or time at the Academy could possibly prepare anyone for this.

o.0.o

Stardate 33823.5

The last of the superficial repairs have been carried out.

I took an organic form to sleep for the first time last night. My first dream was…surreal to say the least.

I've taken the liberty of placing a record of my dream in this log, in the unlikely situation that these logs be transmitted to Starfleet HQ.

/DREAM HOLOLOG/

" _Let's do this," whispered Aurora as she took the Captain's chair. "Red alert!"_

 _Holo screens and monitors glowed brightly at the AI's command. Bulkheads came down, plasma conduits flared: the Aurora was prepared for war._

 _[Shields at maximum: Fighter wings on standby. QEC uplink complete. Initializing drone squadrons…transferring armaments to drone fighters…]_

 _[Chronitron lance phasers charged and responsive. Primary and secondary phaser banks online and charged…torpedo launchers responsive, point defense systems online…awaiting firing solutions from tactical]_

" _Increase power to forward nav shields," Aurora gave a faint smile as the consoles chirped affirmatives. Even though she had full, near instantaneous control over every minute system running within her hull, sitting at the Captain's chair, giving verbal orders, and receiving visual feedback helped her think. "Prepare all systems for combat warp"_

 _[Affirmative…all systems reporting positive: warp core stable, plotting pre-slugged course…awaiting confirmation]_

" _Warp on my mark," Aurora took a deep breath. Although she had taken a liking to organic forms, it was still an unusual sensation to feel adrenaline and other hormones affecting her vast artificial being._

 _With a simple sweep of her mind, Aurora confirmed her 'dumb' computer's reports. Satisfied that she was at the best possible condition for battle, Aurora gave the command.  
"Mark!" _

…

 _Within seconds of leaving warp, four wings of Peregrines, flanked by eight squadrons of X-41 drones. form into a crane's wing battle line._

 _The blistering opening salvo of phaser and torpedo fire shreds hundreds of Reaper destroyers and capital ships. The next volley is just as effective as the drone fighters break formation into wolf packs; having expended their heavy ordinance, they pair up to use concentrated disruptor fire to continue their mayhem._

 _Aurora grins at the hum of the dimmed red alert lights: none of her fighters had been hit by Reaper return fire. Sub dot five relativistic weapons were just no match against vessels used to fighting at over half the speed of light (such limits arbitrary for Aurora; relativity had little effect on her AI form unlike organic crews)_

 _As the last of her Peregrines run out of micro-photons, Aurora hands over independent control to her fighter sub-computers._

 _Aurora herself has not lazed about in the battle; zipping about at .78c, she remains untouchable, yet devastating to the Reapers' few remaining space forces around Earth. Clustered reapers are taken out by lone torpedoes; larger cap ships are barely worthy of a short burst from a secondary phaser bank._

 _In fact, her fire control computers haven't even assigned a target to her chronitons. Traditional Starfleet doctrine has heavy weapons be used against targets that have been unassailable using more energy efficient secondary armaments._

 _A mere five minutes later, the Reapers around Earth have been completely eradicated_

 _The Dawnstar lives up to her namesake, ironically not for her own people, but for another: she gives a new chance, a new hope to the people of the galaxy, like the rising sun of dawn._

This dream is disturbing, as is the fact that I even experienced this decidedly organic phenomenon. Perhaps my internal struggles have manifested themselves in dream form.

Even though I risk experiencing more of these dreams, I have decided to maintain my organic form. I find the limits it places on my mind and perspective…enlightening. Organic scientists have achieved great feats by pacing around and showering. Perhaps I too will find solace and understanding while practicing such measures.

o.0.o

"Do you remember that mysterious 'Starfleet' ship we checked out a month or so ago?"

Liara frowned, "I do…Why do you ask?"

After being forcibly teleported back to the Normandy, all trace of the mysterious "Aurora" could be found. Nevermind the fact that the Alliance couldn't really afford to expend much in the ways of resources looking for said ship.

Even their sparse data gathered from the Normandy's sensors had mysteriously been erased; the first contact package was gone as well. Even EDI couldn't find a single vestige of the Aurora in her databanks.

"Nothing," Shepard clasped her hands onto Liara's shoulders. "I just… had an interesting dream, a dream I didn't want to ever wake up from."

Liara turned in surprise. The dim lights of Shepard's quarters reflected curiosity in the Asari's eyes.

"What was so great about your dream? I'm very curious as to what the great Commander Shepard fantasizes about," Liara asked coyly as she preened under the Commander's hands.

"It was…it was about the Aurora," Shepard replied, her hands now massaging the Asari's lower back.

"Oh"

Shepard sighed.

"It's exactly what you're thinking…the mysterious ship supposedly from an alternate universe captained by a human comes to our rescue at the most crucial second, guns blazing…"

Liara would be lying through her teeth if she were to say she hadn't had the exact same fantasy. Yet she couldn't form a response.

"It's just a silly dream…Are you still up to play cards?"

Liara gave a slight smile.

"Of course"

o.0.o

 **A/N** : I already have parts of the next chapter written, so stay tuned! Take this chapter as a prelude to what is to come. XD

Needless to say, I'm going to have one hell of a time writing the Citadel scene with Shepard, the Catalyst, and our beloved Aurora (oops, spoilers?), but who doesn't want to take that little god-child down a couple pegs?

I have decided that Aurora will be stranded in the ME galaxy for good. Maybe I'll write a couple chapters on the ramifications of Aurora's existence to the post-Reaper ME galaxy…so I might have to eat my hat about the "max 10k thing". Then again, school is starting in a couple weeks…

Let me know what you guys think about these developments.

PS: I'm really sorry if there are any grammatical errors in this chapter, but since I've finally found the drive to start my summer hw (screw calculus), I really should take advantage of my fleeting need to do something productive.


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